Packing for College: What You Think You Need vs. What You Really Need

It’s the summer before college. You’ve selected your classes and checked out your new roommate on Facebook. Now it’s time to get serious about what you’re taking with you and what you’re leaving at home.

Dorm living is one of the best things about going away to school. But dorm digs are notoriously small: only enough room for the essentials—bed, desk, dresser, wardrobe. They’re certainly not big enough for all the comforts of home. And outfitting your new abode, no matter how small, can easily add up—according to a Citi/Seventeen survey, the average college freshman spends $677.65 on back-to-school shopping.

Some colleges and universities post advice on their sites. St. Louis University tells freshmen to coordinate with roommates to “eliminate overlap.” Mitchell College advises students to bring desk lamps but leave sun lamps at home. U.S. News says packing for college is a great time to divide and conquer your stuff: Take half of what you think you’ll need; give the other half to charity.

Here are some suggestions—to get you started, at least. In the end, you can buy whatever must-haves you forget and bring home whatever space-eaters you don’t really use.

Clothes

Bring this: Fall attire for class, exercise, and dress-up; pjs; a robe and bath shoes to wear to communal showers; raincoat and boots.

Leave this: Clothes for winter, spring and summer—swap with your fall wardrobe when you go home on vacation. Consider leaving behind the designer items that other students may be tempted to “borrow.”

Personal Care

Swap fall clothes for the next season’s wardrobe when you go home on vacation.

Bring this: Shower basket, including soap and soap dish; one-month supply of hair products and a hairdryer; makeup; laundry products; iron (check with your roommate so you don’t end up with two to store).

Leave this: Duplicates; bulk products; every electrical hair appliance you own (when was the last time you actually used your hair straightener/curling iron?).

Study Aids

Bring this: An agenda/notebook, in case your computer or tablet dies; graphing calculator (depending on your curriculum, of course); small desk lamp, in case you need to pool an all-nighter and your roommate doesn’t.

Leave this: Bulk office supplies—you can always buy more pens, pencils, and paper at the school store or online.

*There is no monthly service fee and no Citibank fee for using a non-Citibank ATM as long as the student is enrolled in an eligible accredited institution. After the earlier of the expected dates of the student’s graduation, which you will provide to us at account opening, or the date when the student is no longer enrolled in an eligible undergraduate or graduate degree-granting institution, this package will be converted to a different banking account package and your accounts will be subject to the terms and conditions then in effect for that package.